This invention relates generally to the art of closures and more particularly to a novel cork closure for a bottle opening.
Cork closures have been commonly utilized with glass containers for many purposes for most of recorded history. At a point in history almost all glass containers were closed utilized corks. This was particularly true for medicines and for wines. At the current time bottled wine is one of the last remaining items utilizing a cork closure.
Corks utilized as closures have conventionally been removed from the container utilizing a corkscrew. Corkscrews are difficult to utilize and frequently severely damage the cork rendering it unsuitable for future use. Various devices have been developed in order to circumvent the need for corkscrew utilization. Such devices were generally developed during the period in time when cork closures were utilized more broadly. One such device is described in U.S. Pat. No. 328,672 to Hayward. There is described therein the utilization of a slotted cork which carries a means for removing a cork within the slot. Another such device is described in U.S. Pat. No. 278,388 to Berlien. There is described therein a strap which extends beneath a cork for utilization in removing the cork from the bottle.
Various other devices are described in the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 507,669 to Atwood; 53,090 to Bousiques; 314,359 to Bernardin; 262,574 to Cooke 676,018 to Wilson; 810,331 to Gallagatr; and 2,004,690 to Fonyo.
While such devices as described above functioned very well in the time of their utilization, there have been no current processes or devices to ease the complications associated with mechanical means utilized for removal of corks from such wine bottles.